Then, O chief of the Kurus, while you were living in the woods, O Bharata, he came to Dvaraka and took up his abode there, worshipped by the Vrishnis.  One day, after he had taken up his abode in Dvaraka, he came to me, without a companion and when I myself was without anybody by my side, on the seacoast, and there smilingly addressing me said, “O Krishna, that weapon, called brahmashira, worshipped by gods and gandharvas, which my sire, the preceptor of the Bharatas, of prowess incapable of being baffled, and obtained from Agastya after performing the austerest penances, is now with me, O Dasharha, as much as it is with my sire.  O foremost one of Yadu’s race, in exchange for that celestial weapon, give me thy discus which is capable of slaying all foes in battle.”

While he with joined palms and great importunity thus begged of me my discus, myself, O bull of Bharata’s race, from desire of gladdening him, told him these words:  “Gods, danavas, gandharvas, men, birds and snakes, assembled together, are not equal to even a hundredth part of my energy.  I have this bow, this dart, this discus, and this mace.  I will give thee whichever amongst these thou desirest to have from me.  Without giving me the weapon thou wishest to give, take from among these weapons of mine whichever thou mayest be able to wield and use in battle.”

Thus addressed, the illustrious son of Drona, as if challenging me, solicited at my hands my discus of excellent nave and hard as thunder, possessed of a 1,000 spokes, and made of iron “Take it.”  I said unto him.  Thus addressed, he rose suddenly and seized the discus with his left hand.  He failed, however, to even move the weapon from the spot on which it lay.  He then made preparations for seizing it with his right hand.  Having seized it then very firmly and having put forth all his strength, he still failed to either wield or move it.  At this, Drona’s son became filled with sorrow.  After he was tired with the exertions he made, he ceased, O Bharata!

When he withdrew his heart from that purpose, I addressed the anxious and senseless Ashvatthama and said, “He who is always regarded as the foremost of all human beings, that wielder of gandiva, that warrior having white steeds yoked unto his car, that hero owning the prince of apes for the device on his standard, that hero who, desirous of vanquishing in a wrestling encounter the god of gods, the blue-throated lord of Uma, gratified the great Shankara himself, that Phalguna than whom I have no dearer friend on earth, that friend to whom there is nothing that I cannot give including my very wives and children, that dear friend Partha of unstained acts, never said unto me, O brahmana, such words as these which thou hast uttered.

That son whom I obtained through ascetic penances and observances of austere brahmacarya for twelve years on the breast of Himavati whither I had gone for the purpose, that son of mine, Pradyumna, of great energy and a portion of Sanat-kumara himself, begotten by me upon my wife Rukmini who had practised vows as austere as mine, that hero even never solicited this best of objects, this unrivalled discus, which thou of little understanding had solicited!